Elevating means for car doors



July 16, 1929- F. c. HEINEN ET AL ELEVATING MEANS FCR CAR DO0RS- Filed Feb.` 16 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l -NVEA/Toes /TQEDE/e/c/f C. HEM/EN M35i W, 1929 F. c. HEINEN ETA'L ELEVTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Filed Feb. 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -f/v VEN Toes Feines/cfr C. Hem/EN @Tw/s i structions to provide sliding doors.

APatented July 16, 19729.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. HEINEN ANDQKENNETH J'. IOBIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO CAMEL'COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATING MEANS FOR CAR.DOORS.

Application filed February 16, 1928. Serial No. 254,703.

This invention relates to elevating means for car doors.

It is common practice in freight car Icion- 4 re.. quently these doors are left open or are not locked in closed position, especially in a yard or at a freight station. Consequently, when such cars are shuntcd or the train starts suddenly with such doors unsecured, there is a tendency for such doors to suddenly slide and forcibly strike the rear stops or front weather strip, with the result that such parts become broken or distorte-d, and in` some cases, the door-may travel off the track. Further, where car doors are constantly supported upon their rollers, there is always a severe strain upon the rollers and other fix tures, with the result that such fixtures prematurely wear out or break.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved roller supportingl means for the door whereby the door is always supported directly upon its track when it is not in sliding movement whereby the fixtures are relieved from strain during all traveling movements of the car and are only brought into action When the door is opened or closed.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Figure `1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a freight car illustrating a sliding door which is mounted according to this invention, with the door resting upon the track.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the door supported upon the rollers.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken up the line III-III of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line V-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the door operating means.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VII-VII of Figure 6.

In order to explain this invention, there is shown a car door track 1 and a sliding door 2 having an edge 3 (Figure 7) normaiiy resting upon said tracki. e. that is when the door ltrack is broadly used to denote any suplporting means for the door.

.A plurality of oscillatable roller supports 4 are carried b the door. In the illustrated embodiment o this invention only two supportsare illustrated, but any suitable number may be used. Each roller support 4 embodies a pair of bearings 5 (Figure 3) which are illustrated as arcuate terminals of oppositely extending arms 6 which project horizontally from the main hub 7 of the support. Each-roller support has a pair of depending sides or wings 4a for supporting a short axle 4b upon which a roller 4c is journalled.

The arcuate bearings 5 which may be termed bearing points on the supports are adapted for alternate engagement with bearings 8 upon the car door as will later more fully appear. The bearings 8 are shown as` concave for receivin the arcuate bearings 5, and as consisting o a part of a housing or casing 9 attached to the door. Each housing 9 is in the f orm of a hood and the side walls thereof support a pin 10 which extends loosel through an oval aperture 11 in the hub. It sliould be understood that the pins 10 merely retain the roller supports in the bearing hoods, they do not form any fulcrum means for the rollers when the same are supporting the door.

The two roller supports are adapted to be .simultaneously |shifted, and to this end there 1s provided a connection between them and means for endwise operating the connection in either direction. The form of connection' illustrated consists of a rod 12 having bifurcated ends attached respectively to the axles 4" of rollers 4c, the bifurcations straddling the rollers as shown in Figure 5. The rod 12 is provided at an intermediate point with a pair of spacedy collars 13 best shown in Figures 6 and 7 Between these spaced collars there extends the lower bifurcated end 14 of an operating lever 15 which straddles the rod 12A and which is pivoted upon a stud 16 attached to the side of the car. lA bolt 17 and washer 18 maintain the lever upon said stud.

To maintain the door fromshifting laterally olf the track, suitable retainers 19 are attached to the door and overlap the outer side of the track as shown in Figure 4.

'l In the operation of the door, the operator will grasp the lever and swing the same in the direction that he desires to move the door. This swinging movement will successively elevate and shiftthe door. Assume that it is desired to move the door to the right as shown in Figure 2. The operator will swing the handle 15 to the right as shown in the dotted line position. This movement will shift the rod 12 and simultaneously oscillate or rock the roller supports 4 and bring the left 15,hand bca-rings 5 thereof into engagement track in shunting or the like.

with the left hand bearings 8 of the roller housing. As these bearings are broughtV into engagement, the power applied thru the lever 15 will elevate the door above the track so that the same rests upon the rollers whereby it becomes possible to slide the door to its open position by the pull on the lever. As soon as the lever 15 is released, the roller supports and door will have relative shifting movements with the result that the door will again sink upon the track. Hence the door will normally rest directly -upon the track against movement. It is only when the lever 15 is operated that the door is elevated above the track and free to slide. In the prior art devices, the doors are usually retalned in elevated position when sliding on the track and if the operator should forget to lower the same, the doors might fly off the owever, according to this invention, such a possibility could not occur as the door automatically descends as soon as the operator releases the lever 15.

We are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construct-ion may be varied through a wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

IVe claim as our mvention:

1. The combination with door supporting means, of a door having an edge normally resting upon said means, oscillatable supports carried by said door, a roller journalled in each support, bearing means carried by said door, and means for simultaneously shiftingsaid supports in cooperative relation with said bearing means for elevating said door above said supporting means and sustaining the same on said rollers. -4

2. The combination with door supporting means, of a door having an edge normally resting upon said means, oscillatable supports carried by said door, each support having a plurality of bearing points, bearings carried by said door for co-operation with said bearing points, a roller carried by each support, and means for simultaneously shifting said supports for optionally engaging said bearing points with said bearings.

3. The combination with a track, of a door having an edge normally resting upon said track, bearings carried by said door, oscillatable anti-friction supports carried by said door, each support being adjacent a bearing, and means for shifting said supports into engagement with said bearings for elevating and supporting the door above said track.

4. The combination with a track, of a door having an edge normally resting upon said track, a plurality of pairs of spaced bearings carried by said door, a support. suspended between each pair of bearings, each support having a pair of bearings for engaging the bearings of said pairs, and means for shifting said supports for optionally engaging the earings thereof with the bearings on the oor.

5. In a structure of the class described, a

track, a door normally resting upon said track, a pair of spaced bearings carried by said door, an oscillatable support between said bearings and adapted to be shifted into contact with either bearing for elevating, supporting, and moving said door.

6. The combination with a track, of a door i having an edge normally resting upon said track, rollers carried by said door, a connection between said rollers and means for endwise operating said connection in either direction for shifting said rollers for elevating said door above said track and supporting the same upon said rollers, said rollers automatically shifting for lowering the door upon release of said means.

7. The combination with a track, of a door,-

having an edge normallv restino' u on said b b u D track, a pair of oscillatable supports carried.

by said door, each support having a pair of oppositely extending bearing arms, bearings on said door, one adjacent the end of each arm, a connection between said supports and a lever for shifting said connection either forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the door for the purpose set forth. v

8. The combination with a track, of a door having an edge normally resting upon said track, pairs of spaced bearings on said door, supports loosely and oscillatably mounted between said bearings and adapted for alternately engaging said bearings, and means for shifting said supports for elevating and moving said door.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names.

- FREDERICK C. HEINEN.

KENNETH J. TOBIN, 

